Author's Note: I am seriously impressed with this story's stats. Really, guys. This is the one I hate the most out of all my stories, and people want me to continue? I even have people asking me in my other stories about this! Can this be?
So, after this chapter, tell me; do you want me to continue with this, or is it horrible and I should end and delete it right here, right now? Please respond ASAP.
Um... yeah. I guess I should be getting on with the story, huh?
Why do I have to keep telling you that Zim isn't mine? WHY?
And I think you get the point about the flames, too. But just in case you haven't... Don't flame. Just don't.
=== LINE BREAK OF DOOM ===
A shrill sound in my ear wakes me up, and with a groan I slam my hand on the alarm clock. I fold my arms and bury my face in them, trying to get back to sleep before the alarm goes off again in five minutes.
I was up all night watching Abridged Hellsing Ulimate and Avatar The Last Airbender. I needed to catch up on Avatar so I could finish the chapter in my Zutara fanfiction, but I'd gotten carried away and decided to have a marathon until five in the morning. I didn't expect to fall asleep in the middle of my favorite episode.
The alarm screams again; I smash it against the table to shut it up. I should be getting up. I should get ready for school. I drift back to sleep for another five minutes. The third time the alarm goes off, I finally get motivated enough to sit up and turn off the thing. Three's usually a charm with me.
Stretching and popping my stiff back, I roll myself out of bed and realize with an inward smirk that I'm still in my clothes from yesterday. I shrug, feeling the hot protest of my muscles moving out of the position they'd been sitting in for an hour or so, and stumble over to my window. The sun hasn't risen yet, but I can see the orange glow of the dawn over the eastern horizon. The purple night sky fades to plum, and then crimson as the daylight comes closer. It's not nearly as beautiful as the sunrises back home, but it's a sunrise nonetheless.
I stand at my window until I feel the rays of the sun warm my face as it rises slowly. A gentle smile coming to my lips, I walk away and gather my things in my backpack. I think I'll leave early today. Raemi won't be up until after I'm at school, anyway. No need to stay here.
Sticking my iPod earbuds in, I quietly travel downstairs with my backpack slung over my right shoulder. I grab a granola bar as I pass by the kitchen and make sure to lock the door behind me. I look up at the sky as I walk slowly, munching my on granola bar. Not a cloud in sight. Not that I expected there to be- the weatherman predicted rain earlier in the week and there hasn't been a speck of white in the sky since.
Figures a heatwave would occur just as I was getting used to my new routine.
Zutara on my mind, I blankly drop the empty wrapper and continue to meander my way to the Skool. I take my time, not wanting to work up a sweat before I even get inside the horridly stuffy classroom. Seriously, why don't they fix the air conditioning in there? All it does is spit out dust and hot air down everyone's necks.
I get there on time because of my dawdling, and as we all slide into our seats under the oppressive eye of Bitters, I notice that Zim and Dib aren't here. Instead of point this out and cause either a commotion or be laughed at, I ignore it like everyone else. They still aren't back after an hour, and I can't help but wonder what kind of spar they've gotten into this time.
Usually I'm the quiet one, so of course it comes as a shock when I raise my hand and ask to go to the bathroom. Bitters quirks an eyebrow and snaps a yes. I saunter out of the classroom and head outside.
The heat isn't any better out here, but at least the air is moving and dirt isn't clogging up my vision. I stick my hands in my pockets and walk a path I haven't been down before. It isn't all that much different from the neighborhood I live in. Houses line the street and people try desperately to do their chores and keep cool at the same time. A woman watering her folwerbed pours some water over her head; a man in a wheelchair holds a mini fan in one hand and an iced tea in the other on his porch; such things that one would expect to see in a city seemingly made to contain all the unintelligent people of America. My crinkle my nose at the smell of overheated garbage as I pass by someone's overfull trash can. How often did the dump truck come in this neighborhood? That smells like it's been there for at least two weeks.
The street ends in a cul-de-sac, and there's a gap between two townhouses on the right side. I peer over to see that there's a picket fence surrounding a green lawn and a small turquoise house. It looks so out of place, surrounded by bland homes and yellowing front yards. I feel the corners on my lips tug up as I see the "I love Earth" flag on the left post of the white gate. This is obviously Zim's house.
I hear a crash inside, followed by a loud scream, and I feel my intrigue pull. I don't particularly like to meddle, but I'd rather take things into my own hands than stand back and let someone get hurt. I approach the house, and I notice with a start that the four gnomes I'd failed to care about before all turn and lock their red eyes on me. I take a step onto the concrete path up to the front door.
A red laser flies, and I dodge it. I take another step and duck as red soars over my head. The gnomes don't turn to aim at me. Actually, they do, but I bend low so their lasers don't touch me. Apparently they can't aim up and down, only side to side. One of the most horrible design flaws if I've ever seen one. Like guarding a prize without trained personel.
I cross the yard with unsurprising ease- this is Zim we're talking about- and almost guffaw at the boys' bathroom sign on the front door as I open it. There's an overwhelming smell of greasy pizza and tacos. I walk inside, hoping to find the souce of the scream I heard.
Out of nowhere, a little robot pops up in front of me and screeches happily. I give a yelp of surprise and stumble back a step or two.
"Hi! I'm guarding the house!"
"It isn't guarding if you let people in anytime they want," I point out as the robot walks away and sits in front of a very large television. It presses a button on a remote that was sitting on the floor and I watch it flip through the channels a few times before I ask, "So where's Zim?"
The robot jumps to its feet, its cyan eyes suddenly glowing red. "Stop! None shall pass!" it says in a serious tone, artillary sprouting from its head.
"You watch that, too?" I remark, smiling just a bit.
"Yep! It's my favorite show!" the robot replies with a huge grin, the red fading back to blue. It turns to the TV and gives an 'ooh' as it plops down on its backside like a little kid. My smile grows. Whatever this robot's problem is, it reminds me of a young child about Raemi's age. I almost want to hug it.
"Where's Zim?" I repeat.
"Master and Mary are in the lab!" the robot answers enthusiastically.
"Where would this lab be?" I don't ask who Mary is, and I don't think I want to know.
"Over here!"
The robot leads me to a table in the corner, and it rises as the floor underneath opens like a trapdoor. I wonder how many of these are in the house. A levitating platform raises and the robot and I step on it. It sinks and the trapdoor closes.
I hardly notice the robot gawking at me. "What's your name?" it asks.
"Tia," I answer, sure it won't do any harm; this little android is too easily distracted to make any significance of something like a name. "Yours?"
"I'm Gir!"
"Gir? Did Zim name you?"
"Nope!"
Gir doesn't elaborate any further, and I'm thoroughly convinced that I won't want to hear it anyway.
I look at my watch. It's about lunchtime. Bitters will be sure I ditched, and I won't deny it. As long as I come back for my things, I'm sure I'll be fine. My fanfiction draft is in my backpack, I remember with a sudden lurch. It was the platform, not my stomach, that lurched, though.
A door slides open and I try not to gawk at the sight that meets my eyes. It's much cooler down here, thanks to being so far underground, and there's so much alien technology I don't think everything has a constructive use. Glass tubes line the back wall and a keyboard dash stretches across the room. I feel like I'm in one of my warped Star Trek dreams.
"This way!" Gir leads me down the room to another door. It slides open and the room before me is just as stunning as the one prior.
It's a circular room, with a platform in the center and what looks to be an upside-down Tessla coil above it. Another keyboard sits to the right, and a large screen embedded into the wall on the left. "I like this room," I mutter.
A maniacal laugh echoes through the large room and a door behind the dash opens. Zim struts in, his chest puffed out and a smug smirk on his face. It disappears when he sees me and Gir.
"GIR! What have I told you about leading HYU-MANS into the lab?" he snaps.
"Master, this is Tya!" Gir introduces, grinning from ear to ear. Or, rather, from one edge of his huge eyes to the other.
"Tia," I correct automatically, anger slightly flushing my face. My last name is hard to pronounce, yes, but no one's ever screwed up my first name before. It's simple enough to say. My angry flare retreats when I remind myself that this is a defective robot that's obviously made the mistake of leading people down here before.
"Great, now I have to destroy her too!" Zim groans, putting a three-fingered hand to his forehead in exasperation.
With a start I notice for the first time that he's not wearing that stupid wig or contacts. His eyes are the same solid crimson as the sky, and his antennae are thin and delicate-looking. I'd always mused about how he would look without his disguise, if it could be called that, and my guesses aren't all that far off.
A robotic arm bends down from the wires strewn about the ceiling, holding a metal ball in its electronic grip. As it places the ball on the center of the platform, I see Dib's head sticking out of it.
"Computer, detain the female stink-worm as well!" Zim barks. Another arm coils around me and holds me in place. I struggle, naturally, but I'm no match for the strength of the tempered metal. What kind of metal is this, anyway; steel? Some sort of alien substance man has yet to discover?
I'm lifted off my feet and brought to Zim's dash so he can examine me up close. I scowl into those scarlet eyes, having half a mind to spit in his face just for spite.
"First the Dib-filth. He's more of a threat," Zim decides aloud. I remain suspended in the air, and the annoyance at Zim ebbs away as I grow more concerned. Being in trouble for ditching or not doing my homework is one thing. Being held by a metal cable as its controller determines my fate is entirely different.
"You'll never get away with this, Zim!" Dib shouts madly from his position on the platform.
"Oh, I think I just have, Dib-stink!" Zim shouts back triumphantly.
Why do I have the feeling this has all been said before?
There's a crash behind me, and I crane my neck to peer over my shoulder. Gir's giggling insanely while in a pile of mush that looks like mashed potatoes in front of the screen. I don't know if with such solid eyes Zim can roll them, but if he can he certainly will. I do so, amused.
Zim presses a few buttons on the dash, and the Tessla coil begins to glow slightly as it powers up. I frown as I think about what's actually going on. Zim is about to kill a twelve-year-old boy for trespassing. Of course, I'm not against the idea that trespassers should be punished, but can you say overkill? Or is this something bigger than that? I have a twisted feeling that I'm not seeing the big picture here.
The alien laughs madly, clearly pleased with himself. Bolts of electricity shoot from the end of the coil. Light builds up at the point.
Murder sticks in my mind. Dib's about to be murdered. I can't let that happen. I can't live my last moments in guilt that I let someone get killed. There must be something I can do.
My arms are pinned to my sides by the cable wrapped around me, but my legs are free. Zim's head is right there, but kicking him won't stop the death-cannon-thing. I think of Gir, how easily distracted he is. Trying to think on my feet, I come up with an idea that might not work. But it's worth a shot.
"Hey, Gir!" I shout, getting the android's attention. "Master wants a hug!"
Gir looks absolutely delighted at the idea. He springs to his feet and launches himself at Zim, attaching himself to the alien's face in a loving hug.
I watch in facination as Zim flails and shrieks at Gir to get off. The robot is impairing his vision, it seems, and Zim bashes his head on the dash to try and rid himself of Gir. He accidently presses a button and the cannon dies down.
I squirm and wriggle until I have sufficient space to free myself, struggling to squeeze out of the coils. Zim is still screaming and thrashing, and Gir is still latched onto Zim's head, so I hope that's enough to keep them occupied until I figure out how to free Dib.
"You came for me?" Dib asks in astonishment as I examine the containment ball he's in.
"No, I was bored and Gir let me in," I answer plainly. "Can you move at all?"
"Sure, I can move inside it, but it's stuck around my shoulders," Dib says.
"Okay... so we can't slide you out. There's got to be a release button on here somewhere," I whisper to myself, searching the outer shell of the metal. It's cool and smooth underneath my fingertips, and the seams in the metal don't lead me to any clues. My hand finds a depression and I press in on it.
The ball falls away in shingles, like a barrel, and Dib is free. He laughs with relief and rubs at his neck where the metal must have chaffed his skin. "Thanks!" he says gratefully.
"Whatever, I'm out of here," I say. I turn for the door, hoping I can get back the way I came.
"Wait! Don't you wanna expose Zim with me?" Dib calls.
That brings Zim back to reality, and with a horrified screech he realizes his captives are loose. He manages to pry Gir off him and strange spider-like legs extend from his backpack. "You think you're so CLEVER!" he shrieks at us. "You can't get away from me that easily!" Dib and I glance at each other and bolt for the door.
I'm not a fast runner, so it's no surprise that Dib beats me to it. I am surprised, though, when we approach the elevator-like chute that Dib offers to let me go first. I stare at him blankly for a moment, but then I'm whisked up into the air by a pair of thin yet strong arms. I should've just gone, I chide myself internally.
But then Dib would've gotten caught, a voice argues in my head.
Shuddup, conscience, I snap mentally.
"Well, Dib, it looks like you have a choice!" Zim sneers, his voice catching slightly as though he's undergoing a vocal change. Strange what you notice when someone's holding you hostage against his chest. "You can be destroyed right now and let her watch, or your little girly friend here will be the first to be vaporized!"
"Those aren't really options," I grumble. "And I'm not his friend."
"SILENCE!" Zim screams in my ear, making me wince. "Wait, you're not? Why did you come for him, then?"
"Gir can answer that, I'm sure," I say cheekily.
"Ooh, that horrible robot," Zim growls. He says something in what I can only assume to be his native tongue, probably a swear word. His tone isn't too friendly.
"Put her down, Zim!" Dib demands. He reaches forward and yanks on one of Zim's spider legs, and the alien and I crash down by the unexpected lack of support. I jump out of Zim's grasp and find myself bumping into Dib. I back away immediately and dash into the elevator, this time without the hesitation. He follows and the door closes before Zim can get inside.
The platform takes us straight up to the living room, and we make a mad dash for the door. Only to find it securely locked. I curse aloud, ignoring the look Dib gives me, and turn to the window. It's locked as well, but it's glass.
"Is there a lamp or something heavy around?" I ask Dib.
Dib grabs a lamp on a nearby side table and hands it to me. I smash it into the glass. Both shatter and provides an opening big enough for us to jump through. We run across the lawn, ignoring the lasers and I thank my luck stars that I'm not getting hit. We don't stop, even when we get out of the neighborhood, until we reach the Skool.
We collapse on the front steps, panting heavily, or I do. Dib doesn't seem to be so exhausted. He plops down next to me and catches his breath before I do.
We stare at each other for a long moment, and then laugh. It starts out as just a chuckle, but it erupts into peels of laughter very quickly. All the stress and fear from only minutes earlier are giggled away into nothing but memories.
As we calm down, I realize that it's the first time I've laughed, truly laughed, since my mother's death. I look at Dib, who has a broad smile on his face. "Thanks," I sigh. He looks at me, startled and confused.
"For what?" he asks.
I shrug. "Saving me. Not fighting with me." Being the first person to make me laugh in years.
My cheeks warm very slightly, and I see that his are tinging pink. "You're welcome, then, I guess," he replies almost sheepishly.
We sit in the shade, a slight breeze blowing hot air over us. Nevertheless, it's guaranteed to be cooler than inside the Skool building. A silence falls over us, comfortable for once. I wonder if he's ever been so long without talking to someone about aliens before.
The bell rings. The doors burst open and a wave of children fly through, all of them sweatier than Dib and I put together. I think I hear some blonde girl- Jessica, if my memory serves right, and it usually does- makes a remark about Dib and I on the steps, but I let it roll off my back. I've dealt with enough today, and I'm going to end up dealing with more when I go and get my bag. Then I'll have to explain to my parents about why I ditched, which is never fun.
"Wanna go get some ice cream?" Dib asks me after most of the stragglers have trickled out. Ice cream sounds so good right now, after running six blocks and sitting in the heat. I unintentionally lick my lips.
Forget my bag and my parents. "Sure," I say as nonchalantly as possible, but even I hear the slight quiver of enjoyment underneath the monotone.
I think I just made a friend.
=== LINE BREAK OF DOOM ===
Sweet God of waffles, that was definitely a favorite. I know I stressed some things in there that I probably didn't need to, but it was fun and it's late and I'm too tired to give a crack monkey's uncle's shit.
I tried to keep them in character, but right now I'm going through a good point in my life and I don't have the usual strife that I use to help me write Tia. Oh well. OOC or not, I'm proud of this one.
And sorry it took so long to post. It seems I only have moments of epicness once every six to ten months...
And yes, I do have Zutara on my mind right now. STFU, Kataangs.
Review and I'll give you virtual cupcakes! Wait... maybe that's not a good idea... Anyway, respond and I'll love you forever! That's better.